A

Project Report
on
“ARCHITECTURAL STUDY OF
ANCIENT MONUMENT KONARK SUN
TEMPLE”
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Technology
In
Mechanical Engineering

Under Guidance of
Dr./Er. Hemlata Tiwari
Lecturer

Head of Department
Prof. N P Yadav By

Aditi Singh (2004340006)

Harshita Prajapati (2004340019)
Sakshi Gupta (2004340036)
Shreya Sonwani (2004340041)
Som Gupta (2004340042)
Tanuja Sachan (2004340044)

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology

Jhansi (U.P.) India – 284128

 Session 2022-2023

CERTIFICATE
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology
Jhansi (U.P.) India - 284128

This is to be certify that mini project/industrial training on “ARCHITECTURAL

STUDY OF ANCIENT MONUMENT KONARK SUN TEMPLE” has been
successfully delivered by “Aditi Singh, Harshita Prajapati, Sakshi Gupta,
Shreya Sonwani, Som Gupta ,Tanuja Sachan” (B.Tech 3rd year)” under my
guidance in fulfillment of Bachelor degree from Bundelkhand Institute of
Engineering and Technology, Jhansi during academic year 2022-2023.

Cordinator: Head of Department

Er. Hemalata Tiwari Prof. N.P. Yadav
Deptt. Of Mechanical Engg. Deptt. of Mechanical Engg.
 Acknowledgment

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge the support and encouragements I

have receivedfrom the people along the way of the project work. First and
foremost, I would like to express my heartiest Above all, with all humility, I
offer my deepest feelings of gratitude to the blessings and mercy of the
Supreme Person for providing me everything I need. We would like to
express our sincere thanks and deep sense of gratitude towards Er. Hemalata
Tiwari, Department of Electronics and communication engineering,who has
not only helped us in enhancement of my technical knowledge regarding
subject topic but also taken us to zenith where we could reset our views and
exhibit our talent in front of others. The enthusiastic crystal-clear view on the
format and layout and presentation helped us immensely.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. History
4. Building Materials and Techniques
5. Architectural Dispute
6. Conservation Problem and Analysis
7. General Conservation and Measures
8. Conclusion
 ABSTRACT

Sun temple Konark is famous world heritage sites as well as also known for

Bhaskar, Aditya and Padam Kshetra from religious point of view. It’s having

outstanding architectural characteristics features of transitional phases between

ancient to medieval architecture. In Delhi early phase of Islamic architecture

were initiated in a form of mosque, tomb and mihrab. On the other hand, the

Sun temple Konark is the finest example of Indian temple architecture among

all the temple architectural styles like Nagar, Vasari and Dravidian style which

has been used of different technology, material, interlocking, innovation and

first time use of iron as a building material Sun temple Konark. Here I am

trying to focused on Structural anatomy, holistic conservation approaches,

maintenance and find out the fact of Conservation and Consecration of the Sun

Temple Konark. The fact and figures probing by literary as well as physical

remains.
INTRODUCTION

Sun worship in India dated back to time immemorial. Barth says that there
was the popular tradition of Sun Worship in ancient India (Barth, 2002). We
have large number of sun temples in India including the Sun Temple at
Modera, Kashmir, and Multan etc. The Sun temple at Konark is one of the
most spectaculars among all the Sun temples in the world Konark Sun temple
was the most massive and impressive in terms of plan, geographical location,
material, and technological innovation in the art and architectural history of
India. (Mathur, 1950, P 11). It is the highest achievement of Kalinga style of
temple architecture. Percy Brown says, ‘in Orissa so many fine examples of
temple construction activities

Fig.1 Konark Sun Temple

persisting over such a period, make it possible to trace the gradual evolution
of this movement without difficulty, an opportunity from various causes not
presented in anything like the same continuity elsewhere’ (Brown, 1942, P-
101). The Konark temple complex is surrounded by big Prakarsa (wall)
which is bigger than the Prakarsa of Jagannath temple, Puri. The wall around
the compound is 261.21 metre from east to west and 164.59 metre from south
to north. There are two gates, one on the eastern side facing the Nat mandir
and the other on the southern side facing the porch of the Sun temple
((Behera, 2005, P 70). is existing and the gate from the south direction.
Temple complexes also comprise six other Temples also existing and there is
an Archaeological remains inside the temple there is a kitchen, bathing
mandap are in dilapidated condition, there are too big wells.
The Sun Temple, located on the seashore of Bay of Bengal, is at a distance of
43 kilometres from Jagannath Temple, Puri in the north-east. It was constructed
by Narasimha Dev- I from 1238 CE to 1264 CE. The temple is assimilated as
horse chariot or ashwa ratha driven by seven horse. There are 12-12 wheels on
both sides of the temple, which have 12 spokes. The 24 wheels are the symbol
of time cycle. According to Alice Bonner, 12 Wheels are 12 Zodiac symbols
which is 12 months, showing a cycle all seasons. The wheel circumference is
2 .9 meters and has eight main spokes and 8 small spokes.

This season cycle depicted like complete medallion form and theme based on
religious, cultural, and day-to-day work of the society and scriptures. The
Pachanga of the Adhi than are differently divided in different structure like
Rekha duel, Hogmanay and Nat Mandap with different measurement and
different stories depicted like, snake girl there are numbers of Maithuna’s is a
very famous idols art exhibit, Jagmohan height is 39 meters from the ground
floor and it is a huge Jagmohan in Pancharath1 style, the outer width of which is
28meter. Its plinth height is 7 meters and inside it is 18.3 meters Jagmohan2's
thigh is divided into two floors, whose height is 2.5 meters (Donaldson, Oxford
University Press, P-37). The specialty of this temple is that its sanctum
sanctorum, Jagmohan and Boga mandapa are built on a line but Nat Mandap are
on the second line. Nat Mandap is additional features of orison temple
architecture. Almost all others temples of Odisha Garbha Girah or Rekha Deul,
Jagmohan, Boga Mandap, and Nat Mandap in the same line but other hands in
Konark it is different due to gigantic size of Rekhadeul3 and Jagmohan.
Every inch from top to bottom of the exterior/savarin part has depiction of
historical, social, mythological, scientific, philosophical, psychological,
commercial, Kamasutra, and religious stories. The landscape, art and
architecture has outstanding universal value for which it was declared a World
Heritage Site in the year 1984.
 Figure 2 King Narsingh Dev I Visit during Constrction
work in Progress

The artists and architects worked together on two different aspects and
performed their best they can, they did lively visualization in a very
spectacular way despite the stone is the Khand Olite, and Chlorite sculptors has
beautifully decorated with Gandharva, animals, plants battle scene, band
parties, sharing and sharp kanya etc. Artist and Architect both work together,
the architectural work executed separately for the sake of maintaining a duality
in unity, balance, rhythm symmetry, aesthetic, and proportion etc. The
different artists had different specialisations such as, Chitarra, Arikara, chinar,
pathergy, Cariaga, Bauhinia and Silpi Nayak did their defined jobs separately
but work together to achieve the architectural marvel of temple Architecture.
European historians had given the different name of Sun temple and termed as
Black Pagoda because it appears like a black structure from the sea.
There are a lot of mythological stories related to the Black Pagoda from its
ruins to restoration. Some of the legends say that rays of sunlight cure skin
disease leprosy. There is legendary references to many person who has who
were cured by worship of Sun, examples are One was the ambassador of King
Harshavardhana, a person named Mayura who was a poet, and the other is the
son of Krishna, due to the curse by the sage, each one was cured by worshiping
the sun.
HISTORY

Konark in texts

Konark, also referred to in Indian texts by the name Kainapara, was a

significant trading port by the early centuries of the common era. The current
Konark temple dates to the
13th century, though evidence suggests that a sun temple was built in the
Konark area by at least the 9th century. Several Puranas mention Surya worship
centers in Mundira, which may have been the earlier name for Konark,
Kalapriya (Mathura), and Multan (now in
Pakistan). The Chinese Buddhist pilgrim and traveler Hiuen-tsang (also
referred to as Xuanzang) mentions a port city in Odisha named Charitra. He
describes the city as prosperous, with five convents and "storeyed towers that
are very high and carved with saintly figures exquisitely done". Since he
visited India in the 7th century, he could not have been referring to the 13th-
century temple, but his description suggests either Konark or another Odisha
port city already featuring towering structures with sculptures
According to the Madala Panji, there was at one time another temple in the
region built by Pundara Kesari. He may have been Puranjaya, the 7th-century
ruler of the Somavamshi dynasty.

Construction

The current temple is attributed to Narasimha deva I of the Eastern Ganga

dynasty, r. 1238– 1264 CE– . It is one of the few Hindu temples whose planning
and construction records written in Sanskrit in the Odia script have been
preserved in the form of palm leaf manuscripts that were discovered in a village
in the 1960s and subsequently translated. The temple was sponsored by the
king, and its construction was overseen by Shiva Swaminarayan Mahapatra. It
was built near an old Surya temple. The sculpture in the older temple's sanctum
was re-consecrated and incorporated into the newer larger temple. This
chronology of temple site's evolution is supported by many copper plate
inscriptions of the era in which the Konark temple is referred to as the "great
cottage".
According to James Harle, the temple as built in the 13th century consisted of
two main structures, the dance mandapa and the great temple (duel). The
smaller mandapa is the structure that survives; the great deal collapsed
sometime in the late 16th century or after. According to Harle, the original
temple "must originally have stood to a height of some 225 feet (69 m)", but
only parts of its walls and decorative mouldings remain.
Damage and ruins

A lithography plate from James Fergusson's "Ancient Architecture in

Hindustan" (1847) showing part of the main tower still standing
The temple was in ruins before its restoration. Speculation continues as to
the cause of the destruction of the temple. Early theories stated that the
temple was never completed and collapsed during construction. This is
contradicted by textual evidence and evidence from inscriptions. The
Kenduli copper plate inscription of 1384 CE from the reign of
Narasimha IV seems to indicate that the temple was not only completed but an
active site of worship. Another inscription states that various deities in the
temple were consecrated, also suggesting that construction of the temple had
been completed. A non-Hindu textual source, the Akbar-era text Ain-i-Akbari
by Abul Fazl dated to the 16th century, mentions the Konark temple,[40]
describing it as a prosperous site with a temple that made visitors "astonished at
its sight", with no mention of ruins. 200 years later, during the reign of the
Marathas in Odisha in the 18th century, a Maratha holy man found the temple
abandoned and covered in overgrowth. The Marathas relocated the temple's
Aruna stambha (pillar with Aruna the charioteer seated atop it) to the Lion's
Gate entrance of the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Texts from the 19th century do mention ruins, which means the temple was
damaged either intentionally or through natural causes sometime between
1556 and 1800 CE. After the Sun Temple ceased to attract faithful, Konark
became deserted, left to disappear in dense forests for years.
According to Thomas Donaldson, evidence suggests that the damage and the
temple's ruined condition can be dated to between the late 16th century and the
early 17th century from the records of various surveys and repairs found in
early 17th-century texts. These also record that the temple remained a site of
worship in the early 17th century. These records do not state whether the ruins
were being used by devotees to gather and worship, or part of the damaged
temple was still in use for some other purpose.
Aruna Stambha
In the last quarter of the 18th century, the Aruna stambha (Aruna pillar) was
removed from the entrance of Konark temple and placed at the Singha-dwara
(Lion's Gate) of the Jagannath
temple in Puri by a Maratha Brahmachari named Goswain (or Goswami). The
pillar, made of monolithic chlorite, is 33 feet 8 inches (10.26 m) tall and is
dedicated to Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun god.

Preservation efforts

Watercolour painting of two European officers with a dog exploring the interior, 1812

In 1803 the East India Marine Board requested the Governor General of
Bengal that conservation efforts be undertaken. However, the only
conservation measure put in place at the time was to prohibit further removal
of stones from the site. Lacking structural support, the last part of the main
temple still standing, a small broken curved section, collapsed in 1848.[59] The
main temple is completely lost now.
The then-Raja of Khurda, who had jurisdiction over this region in the early
19th century, removed some stones and sculptures to use in a temple he was
building in Puri. A few gateways and some sculptures were destroyed in the
process.[61] In 1838 the Asiatic Society of Bengal requested that conservation
efforts be undertaken, but the requests were denied, and only measures to
prevent vandalism were put in place.
In 1859 the Asiatic Society of Bengal proposed, and in 1867 attempted to relocate
an architrave of the Konark temple depicting the navagraha to the Indian
Museum in Calcutta. This attempt was abandoned as funds had run out. In
1894 thirteen sculptures were moved to the Indian Museum. Local Hindu
population objected to further damage and removal of temple ruins. The
government issued orders to respect the local sentiments. In 1903, when a
major excavation was attempted nearby, the then-Lieutenant governor of
Bengal, J. A. Bourdillon, ordered the temple to be sealed and filled with sand
to prevent the collapse of the Jagamohana. The Mukhasala and Nata Mandir
were repaired by 1905.
In 1906 casuarina and punnang trees were planted facing the sea to provide a
buffer against sand-laden winds. In 1909 the Mayadevi temple was
discovered while removing sand and debris. The temple was granted World
Heritage Site status by the UNESCO in 1984.
On 8 September 2022, the ASI started removing the sand from Jagamohana
which will be completed in three years. The necessary support of stainless-
steel beams will be installed inside the temple and repairs will be carried out.
Building Materials and Techniques

Different stones have been used to construct the Sun Temple Konark as laterite,
Khond alite, and Chlorite and about their building material. KS. Behera
mentioned in his monograph that all the stones are quarried from Mahanadi.
Kushabhadra River and Chilaca lake area. Chlorite stone was quarried from the
coast of Lager hot mountain which falls in Ganjam district. Door jambs and
shrines were constructed of chlorite stone Arun Stambha which is present-day
aligned at Main gates of Jagannath Temple Puri, is also constructed of chlorite
and laterite stone and has been used in the foundation. Whenever Khond alite
stone is freshly quarry out it is in plastic state and softer, later hardened by
natural drying processes and it becomes hard. The Sun temple Konark showing
the architectural evolution and technological history of 700 years of Orissa
architecture. Parshav DeVita inside Main Deity and other valuable sculpture
produced of Chlorite stone, Laterite stone used to fill up the invisible gap of the
platform, staircases, and foundation and the rest all the part of the Sun Temple
Konark was constructed of khondalite stone the stone quarry from Khurd and
the another stone is black Chlorite stone quarried from Nilgiri area which is
about 400 kilometers from the Konark( KS Behra, 2005, P-76) the most
important part of the temple which is first time in architectural history the use of
iron as a building material and used as beam and it’s length 6.1meter
(Donaldson, Oxford University Press, 2003,P-31). One monolithic the stone
which length is 15 meters long and
29 meters in diameter and weight is 200 mon or 8.56 metric ton in weight.

Figure 3 Desalination work under progress with Paper Poultice Method

Architectural dispute

Various Foreign Scholar attempts to proved that the temple had not been
Consecrated ever. The theory propagated by Percy Brown is one of the
scholars among them who highly propagated the theory of not consecration of
Main Sun Temple Konark. The temple still exists in a dilapidated condition
with its original ambiance and landscape.
Dr Ganguly an engineer, who studied the indigenous and traditional
knowledge system of temple architecture in Orissa and he has written the book
Bhuvan Pradeep. Construction of temple architecture of the Manmohan
Ganguly wrote a book on the basis of Bhuvan Pradeep entitled element of and
Orissa and her remains ancient to medieval in 1912 C.E. the book covers- the
temples of Bhubaneswar.
Another engineer Nirmal Kumar Bose also studied about the temple in Odisha
and did a comprehensive survey on the temples and structure of Odisha and
based on his survey and experience wrote a book titled Canons of Origin
Architecture and the book was published. In 1932 C.E. The next scholar also
wrote about the prevalent practices of temple architecture in Orissa. In 1932
C.E. Rd. Boss also discovered a large number of manuscripts of Bhubaneswar,
Puri, and Cuttack, where he found artists and guilds besides the three cities.
His mentors who decided to write a book on the architecture of Orissa, Alice
Bonner, and Sada Shiva Sharma have also discovered the Clipart manuscript
which tells about the art and sculpture of Orissa. This manuscript is originally
from Sada Shiva Sharma and his ancestors were used for construction work.
Based on the architectural practices of temples, Alice Bonner published in
Indian Temple Architecture. In 1975, this book, published by Pramod Chandra
in the American Institute of Indian Studies by the University of Chicago,
focused on the architecture and Orissa Temple Architecture characters Alice
Bonner and Sadashiv Sharma, about the book has also published a book On Sun
temple of Konark, about which he was told the Sun temple architect of Konark
another scholar and architecture make Deval Mitra temple, who let the
Encyclopaedia of Indian temple architecture Written in volumes and 1988 and
1991 published by the American Institute of Indian Studies and by Oxford
University Press Delhi on the basis of all the published book, It is established to
a great extent that all temple architecture in Kalinga Kshetra has been built on
the basis of this law on the basis of craftsmanship, which ancient art 750 C.E.
than. 500 is more years from1250 C.E.
Conservation Problem and Analysis

Protection work Modern techniques to preserve it as all structural style is

broken in south window Has been used and also repaired in steps Done and
using the degree of conservation intervention and international Nara charter that
authenticity and integrity of the monument should not be disturb (Lemaire &
Stovel, n.d.), the reproduction method is used in the south and in the north and
east direction the elephant has a very giant statue called Gaj Kranti/ (elephant
over lion), it’s arch is multi-foliate and decorative . The first drawing of this
ornamentation was made by A. Sterling in 1825 C.E. and other scholars
prepared reports on Konark such as Ferguson in 1837C.E. and Ramlal Mitra in
1868 C.E. There is a Navagraha here, but it does not have the planet Mercury in
it. The roof of this temple is pyramidal and it is called piddha4 deul , one pidha
over other pidha were kept on top. The Navagraha is engraved on a single stone
which is place on an iron beam and is located in the eastern part, it is 6.1 meters
in height and height. 1.1 meters in these planets are built above the Purna
Mundi with an average height of 7.5 meters and 3 meters is all nine zodiac signs
are exquisite Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu Rahu is in the
shape of Ketu Snake in bust shape, all the remaining cross- legged planets are
sitting and the lion hairstyle of all the planets is worth seeing, the Europeans
wanted to take it to them

Figure 4 Measuring Developing Crack by Cement TALE TELL

country but it could not happen. its stone panel were sliced to reduce the
weight and accordingly, truck was Fabricated but it had to be abandoned due
to local opposition.

I. Site analysis- The site lies on the sea shore area and was built in the
13th century but conservation started from the 19th century.
(Archaeological Survey of India.) the earliest work was initiated by
the marine board to ascertain the cost of conservation in 1806 C.E.
The next attempt for conservation was made by king of Khurd in
1838C.E. but Governor of Bengal declined due to life threat for the
worker.
 II. Conservation analysis- Major and minor conservation history of the
temple is more than 200 years old, it is a big challenge to maintain the
preservation status in terms of material. Interlocking system, local
environmental threat to the structure.

General Conservation Measures

Numbers of conservation measures has been taken up to till date recently

Archaeological Survey of India has taken several step to mitigate the impact of
saline action, water logging, erosion and vegetative intrusions such as cleaning
of the surface by paper pulp method, consolidation and strengthening of stones
wherever needed, plantation of trees in surrounding area to prevent mechanical
erosion by wind action, removal of water by installing pumping sets, and
periodic biocidal treatment for control of vegetative intrusion. Conservation
work of monuments, including Sun Temple, Konark is a continuous process and
the said monument, also a World Heritage Site, is in a good state of
preservation due to regular care by ASI.
ASI has introduced plain stones only where original stones were missing or for
filling of gaps to ensure structural stability and to prevent water ingress. All
conservation work is carried out as per ASI’s conservation policy, 2014.Annual
Conservation Plan is regularly drawn by ASI every year, for review of the
requirements at the monument for its appropriate preservation

Figure 5 Fitted Sculpture by Consolidation Method

 CONCLUSION

The Sun Temple is the latest and last versions of Kalinga style. It is belonging
to medieval period i.e., 1256 C.E.at the same time Sultanate dynasty
established in Delhi and initiated the Islamic architecture. Therefore, the sun
temple Konark is the highest achievement in temple architecture of their time.
Its style were skyscraper and use of fresh varieties of building materials but in
other hand Islamic architecture in Delhi had been initiated in different style of
Islamic architecture such as mosques, tomb, and graves. There are changes of
architectural character like low sky line, use pf razed building material,
congregational prayer, and sahn.
These features first time introduced in India. So, Sun temple is not only
important for their architectural marvel but it is a landmark achievement
during the transitional phase of Indian architecture. Conservation, and
Consecration it is all part are important and made controversial by domestic
and international scholars, so more fresh research paper also may be produced
on Conservation challenges, original anatomy of Sun Temple Konark.
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Chakravarti, M.M. (1908). Certain Unpublished Drawings. of Antiquities in

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